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or mail to:
Christus Medicus Foundation
P.O. Box 2606
Southfield, MI 48037 |
Second Quarter 2008 Progress
Dear CMF Friends:
For 10 years, I have been writing a quarterly newsletter about the work of the Christus Medicus Foundation. If we are to continue serving as a watchdog and educator protecting Catholic and people of all faiths core family values in healthcare,
I urgently and immediately need your prayers, support and financial help.
At Mass recently, I was reminded by our pastor's homily that when Jesus came, he was a friend of the children and the poor. I can't help wondering what He would say to us about the way poor children are treated in our current culture. Frequently, many poor pre-born children are killed by abortion and their mothers are viewed and treated, by the family planners, like animals incapable of self control. Our aggressively growing publicly funded health insurance plans provide children of the poor -- through Medicaid, the working poor -- through the State Children Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), and the disabled -- through Medicare – family planning education, abortion and contraception. Some states, like Michigan, initially included sterilization.
Seventeen (17) states fund abortion for minors, at any age, for any reason, with only two of these states requiring parental consent. All states fund family planning education and contraceptives in S-CHIP, including pills and devices that induce abortion for minors, without parental consent.
The US Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), state Catholic Conferences, and pro-life/pro-family organizations are to be commended for their leadership in speaking up for the dignity and sanctity of the human person. During the 2007 Reauthorization of S-CHIP, the Public Policy Committee of the USCCB, Catholic Charities, the Catholic Health Association and other faith-based organizations were highly supportive of the expansion of S-CHIP to children of families who have annual income as much as $80,000 . Unfortunately, even though it was clear that
this expansion would result in an increase in the number of children exposed to the confidential (without parental knowledge) coverage for abortion and contraception, they remained silent on the issue. I am sure you would agree the coverage described above is a direct attack on the family.
The Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) provided the leadership, crying out for the protection of our children and faith values. The Catholic Medical Association, a few Bishops and pro-life/pro-family leaders also courageously spoke out for appropriate S-CHIP reform. Thanks to God's grace and a handful of dedicated courageous leaders, we were successful in postponing the expansion of this threat to children and families in the 2007 Reauthorization of S-CHIP, until March 2009.
With regard to healthcare reform, one of the major issues in the 2008 elections, we can no longer be silent about the massive public funding in health plans for contraception and abortion. For years, Catholic and other religious leaders, and Pro-life / Pro-family policymakers have diligently worked to limit Title X (Family Planning Services) annual funding to $215 million (FY 2006). At the same time Catholic Institutions and other religious organizations have lobbied to increase
public funding in Medicaid health plans, like S-CHIP, which already expend more than $1.3 billion (FY 2006) annually for family planning services, most of which are gravely immoral.
This money fuels directly the efforts of the culture of death. During the past 10 years, through persistent educational efforts, CMF has been working to expose this travesty and has been able to get the Heritage Foundation, the Galen Institute, the Family Research Council and a few pro-life policymakers engaged in the discussion of advocating for value-centered healthcare reform. One of our goals is to help ensure that parents have the
option to enroll their children in public health plans which they can trust. Our proposed health plan option is essential in order to preserve parental rights and to protect children. The option would allow parents to select a health plan that excluded coverage for abortion, contraception and sterilization for their children. This option would also exclude coverage for infanticide and euthanasia for both children and the adults now enrolled in S-CHIP.
In order to pursue this work, CMF needs your help! May I count on you for your prayers, your financial help and your commitment to join us in this fight for the protection of our children? Your gift of $1000, $500, $250, or even $100, at this critical time, is needed immediately for the Christus Medicus Foundation (CMF) to protect our children in healthcare reform.
This money fuels directly the efforts of the culture of life. Waiting for March 2009, when the expansion of S-CHIP will again be considered, will be too late. It is
NOW that we must actively engage in the work of pursuing S-CHIP moral reform so that we may also support its expansion for children who need coverage.
Please be as generous as you can. If you can, please consider an even more generous gift, $5000 or $10,000, to help us make sure there continues to be a voice crying out for protection of our children.
Without your support, CMF can not provide the leadership in educating policymakers, the media and the public about the confidential funding of abortion, contraception and sterilization for children in S-CHIP, Medicaid and Medicare.
Please take the time to review, sign and return to me the --signature document--. We need to show our federal and state policy makers that people of all faiths and their leaders advocate healthcare policy that protects children from excessive government interference and which protects the fundamental rights of parents. Parents are the primary educators and care givers for their children and their rights need to be protected.
Your gift will help insure that CMF will be even better positioned to continue to fight for the protection of our families, the core foundation of a free and religious society.
Thanks for all you do building a "culture of life".
Your friend for life,
Michael J. O'Dea
Executive Director
